Convertible protective covering



E Mcl. LAW.

CONVERTIBLE PROTECTIVE COVERING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-24,191

Patented July 13, 1920.

SHEETS-SHEET l.

E NICI. LAW.

CONVERTIBLE PROTECTIVE COVERING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.24, 1911. 1,346,820..

Patented July 13, 1.9%.

3 SHEE`IS-SHEET 2.

E Mol. LAW.

CONVERTIBLE PROTECTIVE covERlNG.

APPLICATION FILED NOV24, 1917A i.

,Patented July 13, 1920.

gnou/Hoz Unirse staresY E MCI'VOR LAW, OF ARCADIA, FLORIDA.

CONVERTIBLE PROTECTIVE COVERING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920.

Application le November 24. 1917. Serial No. 203.823.

/ all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, E Molvon LAW, a citizen of the United-States,residing at Arcadia, in the county of De Soto and State of Florida7 haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible ProtectiveCoverings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has as its object to provide an article which may beemployed to take the place of various outer garments and which also maybe put to various other f uses particularly adapting it for army use,

and for use by farmers, fishermen, auto mobilists, etc., as well as bythe general public. One of the aims ofthe invention is to provide anarticle of this class which may be manufactured at a low cost and whichmay be employed, for example, as an overcoat7 raincoat, cape, slicker;sleeping bag or tent or cover, wagon cover, automobile cover or soldierspack cover as well as being adapted for use for` various other purposestoo :numerous to mention.

The invention aims further to so construct the article that the sainemay be readily and quickly adapted to serve its various uses.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the article spread open and viewing the innerside or obverse face thereof;

Fig. 2 is a similar view looking at the outer side or reverse face;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the article employed as a rain or overcoatwith an ordi nary collar;

Fig. 4L is a similar view illustrating the article employed as anovercoat or raincoat with a hood;

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the article isto be applied and adjusted for either of the uses shown in Figs. 3 and4; Y

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the article partly folded toform a sleeping bag;

Fig. 7 is asimilar view of the completely folded article when employedin this manner.

Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the article,the view being taken substantially Qn the line 8-8 of Fig. l;

Fig. 9 is a view illustrating the article employed as a shelter tent;

T he article embodying the present invention is preferably formed from asingle sheet of canvas, khaki cloth, or any other suitable fabricdepeniiling upon the general use or uses to which it is contemplatedthat the article shall be put. This sheet of material is indicated inthe drawings by the numeral l and the edge portionsthereof at all foursides are folded in and stitched to form hems, the hein along what willbe the upper end of the article being indicated by the numeral. 2, theone along the lower end by the numeral 3,. one of the side edge hemsbeing indicated by the numeral 4, and the other by the numeral 5. Theselieins all lie at the inner or obverse face of the article as clearlyshown in Fig. l of the drawings and for a purpose to be presentlyexplained; the hem 2 is left open at its ends and, in fact, is openthroughout its entire length, or; in other words, of a tubular nature.The opposite hem 3 may be left open in a like manner or may hepermanently closed as desired as also the side hems el and 5. Securedupon the inner or obverse face of the hem 4 is a series of pairs of thestud members 6 of snap fastenings and secured upon the outer or reverseface of the sheet behind the side hem 5 is a series of pairs of thesocket members 7 of the said snap fastenings; the pairs of members 6 and7 being correspondingly located so as to match when the right-hand edgeportion a of the article in Fig. 'l is carried over beyond and foldedaround behind the left-hand edge portion Z) of the article in Fig. 2.TNhile the-members 6 and 7 constitute the elements of snap fastenings;it will be understood that straps and buckles or any other suitablefastenings may be employed instead thereof so long as each memberthereof is wholly on one face of the material as hereinbefore specified.In like manner there is secured upon the inner or obverse face of theupper end hem 2 a series of pairs of socket members 8 these membersbeing located on portion c to the right of the middle of the article andalong the right half of the hem as shown in Fig. l, and secured upon theouter or reverse face of the sheet behind the left half of said hem 2 isa series of pairs of stud members 9 which are designed for engagement inthe socket menibers 8, these members 9 being located to the left of themiddle of the article of Fig. l, and therefore is shown on portion Z atthe right in Fig. 2. Secured to the article at each corner thereof, is aring 11 of any suitable size and material, and similar rings 12 aresecured to the side hems 4 and 5 substantially midway between the upperand lower ends of the article. A tape or tapes 10 are secured to theobverse of the upper hem 2 near its left Vend, as shown in Fig. 1. lnorder that a belt may be assembled with `the article, a number of beltloops 13 are secured to the inner face of the body portion ofthe articleand `extend in a horizontal series from one side to the other abouthalf' way between .the top .and bottom hems, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.Each of these belt loops is preferably formed from a suitable strip ofmaterialisecured at suitable intervals to the body portion of thearticle so that each provides a series of vertically .spaced loopsindicated by the numeral 14. A belt 1 5 is `adapted to be threadedthrough the corresponding loops 14and inasmuch as each ofthe `members 13provides a plurality of the loops 14, 'the position of the belt upon thearticle may be varied at will. The foregoing completesthe description ofthe article as it islpl'aced upon the market and there will now bedescribed some of the more important uses to which it may be put.

In employing the article as a rain coat, slicker, or .the like, thesheet is held with the-obverse or inner face next the wearer and thrownabout the body in the manner shown in Fig. 5, the `belt 15 being drawnaround the waist rand its ends connected in front. The lower halves ofthe side edges are brought together .in `front and the portion a lappedover the portion and the fasteners 6r and 7 connected to each other upto about .the waistline, above `which line the ,remainder of'. `thesheet is vcapable of dispositionabout the body `as .shown in eitherFigs. 3cr 4, but in any vcase the reverse face of the sheet is outermostand no fasteners. areV exposed. If adjusted as seen in Fig. 3, themidlength ofthe hem 2 and the `upper end of the sheet are rolled back to,produce a collar effect indicatedat C, whereas if adjusted as seen inFig. 4 the hem will not be rolled back but the midlength of the upperend of the sheet looped around the `face to produce a hood effectldesignated at H. In either case the fasteners along the upper `halvesofthe portions a and o are Vnot to be connected, and openings arethereby left for the passage of the hands; but when the upper portion ofthe sheet is drawn ,around `the shoulders and body to form the caps, theoutermost fasteners 8 and 9 on the portions c and d are connected witheach other to close the garment downthe front of such cape.

In employing the article as .a `sleeping bag or the llike, it isdesirable that it be closed excepting at oneendfand also `'that thedisposition of parts be such as will 1ex- 6 and 7 connected exceptperhaps those near the upper end of the sheet. The first fold abovementioned brought half of the upoer edge over onto the remaining half sothat the portion c overlaid the portion d. The overlying portion is nowyslipped back a little as .seen in Fig. 6, making a fold along kthe linee, ythe hem 2 being distorted at to permit; and, withrthe extreme uppery,end g of the portion b laid aside, the parts `,now stand as seenfinFig. 6. The next4 step is to, fold the Aportion Z (which is about 4half'the upper end) over onto the portion c and connect the Vfasteners 8 and9. This .closes most of the article being formed and brings the parts tothe condition seen* in Fig. 7V where the tapes are exposed, and `whenthe, distorted upperend g of the portion Z). is laid over into itsproper pl-ace, its corner ring l1 may be engaged with the tapes .and thebag `is finished. Now in order to prevent the entrance of rain, theyentire fbag is turned over so that what appears asthe upper sideinFi'gs. 6 and 7 will lie upon the earth, and therefore rain strikingthe otherside will run off as there are no. openings for it lto enter.

lnemploying the article as a shelter tent, as shown in Fig. 9, front andrear end posts or stakes lfaredriven intotheiground and the rings y12are `engaged over vthe upper ends of these posts or stakes, the oppositeside portions or, in other words, the upper and lower thalves ,of thearticle in Fig. 1

being draped to extend downwardly in opposite directions as* shown inthe said Fig. 9. ylhe lower yedges vof these .portions are secured bymeans of stakes 17 which `are driven throughl the rings 1l and into` theground.V

Having thus described the invention, ,what is claimed asnew is:

An .article ofthe class described includ# ing a `substantiallyrectangular sheet of flexible material having front and rear faces, Lalongitudinal series of fasteners secured to the front face ofsaidvsheetalong one longitudinal edge portion thereof a second .seriesof' fasteners secured to the rear face of the sheet along the oppositelongitudinal edge portion thereof, said first named longitudinal edge,portion being adapted Jto overlap thesecond namedl longitudinal edgeportion whereby .said first .and second named fasteners may beconnected, a transversely extendingseries .of fasteners secured totheifrontface Iof said sheet along the lower end portion of the same andextending only half Way across said sheet; and a second series oftransversely extending' fasteners secured to the rear face of said sheetat the same end portion of the sheet and extending across the other halfof the sheet only, the first named half of the lower end portion of saidsheet being adapted to be folded upon said second half of the sainewhereby the first and second 10 named series of transversely extending:tasteners may be connected.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

E MCIVOR LAW. [L s]

